Drake University College of Business and Public Administration

School Description

Drake’s College of Business & Public Administration delivers a business education rooted in the demands of the real world.

Our faculty members are not only dedicated educators, they’re also accomplished entrepreneurs and corporate leaders, who bring you the advantage of their years of experience. Our faculty’s combined business and teaching experience sets us apart from other universities—and you’ll actually be taught by professors, not teaching assistants. With 48 full-time faculty members and 20 staff members, we work hard to maintain a “real-world,” applications-based teaching environment in accordance with our mission—bringing the classroom into the world and the world into the classroom. We do this by giving students the opportunity to work with actual clients on legitimate business matters, bringing in business leaders on a regular basis to work with students, and in many other ways.

The College offers impressive resources. The Wells Fargo Career and Professional Development Center will help you develop career planning skills that will serve you well beyond your first job. Our Executive in Residence Program brings business leaders to campus to share their expertise with you. And the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center will give you the know-how to launch your own new venture. The College is one of only four business schools in Iowa that holds accreditation from the AACSB, the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business—the gold standard for quality in business education.

Drake’s ideal location in the state capital of Des Moines means more opportunities for you as a student. The city is home to Fortune 500 companies, innovative agriculture businesses, leading insurance agencies, and a growing entrepreneurial scene. You’ll have myriad opportunities for internships, hands-on learning, and building extensive networks. Our strong relationships with local business leaders, as well as national and international executives and successful Drake alumni, will benefit you both during your time at Drake and into your professional life.

Our undergraduate students begin business coursework their freshman year, so they are exposed to the business curriculum, professors, and community leaders one to two years before students enrolled in other business programs. Our rigorous academic training emphasizes the development of advanced business acumen as well as communication, writing, and presentation skills. Classroom learning is enhanced by programs such as our Executive in Residence, J.W. Paquette Young Alumni Career Series, Entrepreneurship Centers, as well as career fairs and internship opportunities offered through our Professional and Career Development Center. All of these experiences put Drake students ahead of the competition come graduation; in fact, nearly 99 percent of our 2011 graduates were employed or pursuing higher education within six months of commencement.

The CBPA also offers four graduate-level degrees that are enhanced by our relationships with leading executives, public officials, and nonprofit directors. Our M.B.A. program has been voted "Best of Des Moines" every year since 2007 in the annual Des Moines Business Record Reader's Poll. Certificate programs, tailored executive programs, and continuing professional education are offered through the Center for Professional Studies and the Kelley Continuing Education Programs.

Drake is leading the way in business education, and we are committed to helping our students develop leadership skills, values, and ethics important to the business climate today. Current initiatives in the CBPA are making a positive impact on our students and faculty, with many more enhancements to come in the future. We are always looking for ways to improve our students’ learning experience and to enhance the curriculum we offer.

This school also offers:

Master

The Master of Accounting degree (MAcc) is designed to complement prior education and equip students to reach their professional goals.
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Program Details

‌The Master of Accounting degree equips you to reach your professional goals by providing the requisite knowledge to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) examination and to enter the profession of public accounting.

This degree is designed to complement prior education and experience, or to prepare students without an accounting background for this professional field.

Program Highlights
You can earn your degree in as little as four semesters in a full-time format, although part-time students have five years to meet all requirements
30–54 credit-hour program with tuition rate of $600 per credit hour for the 2013-2014 academic year
Flexible scheduling with core and elective courses meeting one night per week from 6–9:15 p.m. for 13 weeks.
Any major accepted from an accredited undergraduate institution
The M.Acc. faculty are recognized scholars with extensive experience as practitioners and consultants, blending first-hand knowledge of best practices into their teaching
Leadership Essentials
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The Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program uses an integrative approach that emphasizes real-world application of knowledge and problem-solving strategies and techniques.
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Program Details

‌‌The Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree program uses an integrative approach that emphasizes real-world application of knowledge and problem-solving strategies and techniques. Technology and management are incorporated into and across courses.

You can customize this program by selecting an area of specialization to develop skills best suited to your academic and career goals.

Program Highlights
You can earn your M.B.A. in as little as two years in a part-time format, although students have five years to meet all requirements
39 credit-hour program with tuition rate of $600 per credit hour for the 2013-2014 academic year
Flexible scheduling with core and elective courses meeting one night per week from 6–9:15 p.m. for 13 weeks.
Any major accepted from an accredited undergraduate institution
Optional travel course opportunities
The M.B.A. faculty are recognized scholars with extensive experience as practitioners and consultants, blending first-hand knowledge of best practices into their teaching
Leadership Essentials
...
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The Master of Financial Management (MFM) degree is a specialized program designed to prepare individuals to excel in the financial services industry.
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Program Details

‌‌The Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree program uses an integrative approach that emphasizes real-world application of knowledge and problem-solving strategies and techniques. Technology and management are incorporated into and across courses.

You can customize this program by selecting an area of specialization to develop skills best suited to your academic and career goals.

Program Highlights
You can earn your M.B.A. in as little as two years in a part-time format, although students have five years to meet all requirements
39 credit-hour program with tuition rate of $600 per credit hour for the 2013-2014 academic year
Flexible scheduling with core and elective courses meeting one night per week from 6–9:15 p.m. for 13 weeks.
Any major accepted from an accredited undergraduate institution
Optional travel course opportunities
The M.B.A. faculty are recognized scholars with extensive experience as practitioners and consultants, blending first-hand knowledge of best practices into their teaching
Leadership Essentials
...
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‌The MPA strives to meet the challenges to successfully lead a public or nonprofit organization in today's environment.
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Program Details

‌To successfully lead a public or nonprofit organization in today's environment, administrators must develop superior executive, public policy, and resource management expertise. The Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) program strives to meet these challenges.

You can customize this program by selecting an area of specialization to develop skills best suited to your academic and career goals.

Our M.P.A. program allows students to easily integrate public management coursework with business management, accounting, finance, marketing, and information systems—courses taught with the public sector in mind. Students also have the option of enrolling in a spring travel course, PADM 282, which takes a closer look at a specific policy issue from a global viewpoint....
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A weekend graduate program designed for public and nonprofit professionals that you can complete in 24 months in the Quad Cities
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A weekend graduate program designed for public and nonprofit professionals that you can complete in 24 months in the Quad CitiesToday, public and nonprofit organizations are expected to carry out their mission of service by successfully partnering with the private sector and other public and nonprofit organizations. Managers in the public and nonprofit arenas must meet both the public?s and business sector?s expectations for efficiency and effectiveness while maintaining traditional public values such as fairness, equal access to services, public accountability, public participation in decision making?values our society does not typically require of the private sector. The Drake University MPA degree with an emphasis in executive development effectively addresses this new reality.The mission for the MPA is to develop within the public and nonprofit professional the ability to transform, lead and direct organizations in a dynamic environment. Courses are multidisciplinary in nature recognizing the ever-changing environment of the public and nonprofit sectors.A unique and comprehensive weekend-based Drake MPA program has been developed for professionals living in the Quad Cities. This special MPA degree is offered in cooperation with the Quad Cities Graduate Study Center. Students admitted to the Drake MPA will complete 12 courses within a 24 month time frame. Each class typically meets two weekends during a six to eight week period providing a sequential format appropriate for the working student. Classes do not meet during traditional holiday and break times. The courses are offered sequentially to allow in-depth exploration of each topic before moving on to the next subject.This unique format allows for the integration of 30 hours of in-class instruction with additional web assistance. Courses are taught by the same highly regarded Drake faculty who teach in our Des Moines campus MPA program. We are currently accepting applications for our new cohort to begin Spring 2007.More Information?We believe that the Drake Master of Public Administration degree in the Quad Cities offers the working professional the best possible combination of relevant coursework to prepare graduates to be an agent for change within the dynamic public and nonprofit environments.For more information about the Drake MPA at the Quad Cities, please contact Drake at (515) 271-2188 (toll free 1-800-44-DRAKE, ext. 2188), or by e-mail: cbpa.gradprograms@drake.edu....
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